Snaffle-hook.



FRANCES P. AVERY (NOW BY MARRIAGE FRANCES P. AVERY SEYMOUR).

' SNAFFLE HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 190B. RENEWED DBO. 31, 1909. 967,486, Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

UNITED STATES 'PATEN T OFFICE.

FRANCES P. AVERY, (NOW BY MARRIAGE FRANCES AVERY SEYMOUR) OF MOLINE,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 1'0 AVERY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DETROIQ MICH- IGAN, A CORPORATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 22, 1908, Serial No. 144,705.

' SNAFFLE-HOOK.

Patented Aug. Iti, 1910.

Renewed December 31, 1909. Serial No. 535,901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ll, FRANoEs P. AVERY, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Moline, Rock Island county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in snaffle-Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

M invention relates to improvements in sna e hooks, and has for its object the production of a device by means of which the hook is'positively locked in either open or closed position.

A further object is the production of a device that'is 0 simple construction and of few parts, and one that is least liable to get out of order.

A further object is the production of a device that can be cheaply constructed and one that is positive in its results.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by my device, embodiments of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my device with a portion of the guard broken away. Fig. 2 represents a side view of Fig. 1, partly in section. Fig. 3 represents a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by an rows. Fig. 4. represents a view similar to Fig. 1, with a portion of the chamber broken away.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, the device comprises a hook portion 5, a shank 6, a sliding guard 7, and a rectangular eye 8. The shank 6 is hollow and within the chamber 9 is seated a spring 10. it. slot 11 passes throughthe shank longitudinally thereof, terminating in pockets 12-12 extending at right angles thereto and at either end of the slot 11. A movable pin 13 passes through the sprin guard 7 and through the shank 6, and is a apted to move within the slot 11 and'pockets 12 and 12 The slot and pockets are duplicated on the opposite side of the shank, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The rectangular eye 8 is either formed integral with the shank or secured thereto by means of a bolt 1 1, as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 4, the circular eye 15 is substituted for the rectangular eye 8. Passages 16 e'xtendfrom the bottom ofthe chamber 9, communicating with. the air in order to permit any water that may accumulate within the hook to drain out. The spring 10 is supported'at the bottom at 17 and is turned upwardly at the top at 18 and forced to abut against the pin 13, so as to normally force the pin into thepocket 13 when the pin is resting in the upper portion of the slot 11. The guard 7 is preferably formed to entirely surround the shank, and is formed with an upwardly extending por tion or apron 19 adapted to practically abut or engage the end 20 of the hook 5.

In the operation of my device, the device as shown in Fig. 1 is in locked position. The guard 7 is turned to the left against the torsion of the spring 10; that is to say, if the guard were released when the pin reaches the edge of the slot 11, the spring will immediately force the pin back into locked position, as shown. The guard is then slipped downwardly, the pins traveling in the slot 11 until it reaches the bottom. The guard is then turned back to the right,

forcing the pin within the pocket 12, in

which position the shoulder 21 holds it in position. When it is desired to close the hook, it is simply necessary to turn the guard to the right until the pin engages the side of the slot 11. The guard is then released and the spring 10 having been compressed in the first operation, throws the pin 13 upwardly in. the slot 11 and back into locked position, as shown in Fig. 1.

This device is of very simple construction, but performs its office in a positive manner. By its use, it is impossible for any animal secured by its means to throw the hookinto open position, itbeing necessary, in addition to turningthe guard to the right, to hold it there until the guard has been forced down and even then to turn it into the pocket 12 before the pressure of the spring is thrown off the guard.

ll claim:

As a new article of manufacture, a snaffle hook comprising a chambered shank, a hook member on the end of said shank, a hollow cylindrical guard surrounding said shank and mounted for sliding movement only, a single ear covering the point of said hook whenin closed position, a spring seated within said shank, a spring stop passing through the walls of said shank and engaging said guard, and a channel in the walls of said shank within which said stop passes provided with pockets 'at either end within Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 6th which said stop fits, locking said glgard in day of July, 1908.

open or c osed position sald shan being provided with passages" for draining any 7 FRANCES AVERY 5 liquid from the interior thereof, said pas- Witnesses:

sages being located in the end of said shank ALBERT J. SAUSED,

opposite the hook. v ELLEN H. CLEGG. 

